Roti

Once upon a time, there
was a little boy from a slum, who had to slog and yet went to bed
hungry. And seeing all the injustice in the world he became a
criminal to ensure his survival. Two lines that could start
describing about a million Indian films. Some used it as a background
idea, many used it as the main motivation of the characters. Some
were brilliant and some did not work, and even though Roti has
apparently been appreciated at the time of its release, I don´t
think it deserves to be anywhere near the top when it comes to a list
of such films.

After escaping from jail
and being considered dead, Mangal (as Rajesh is called) decides to
lead a different life. He ends up in a small mountain village, where
posing as a friend of their son, he finds a shelter with blind aging
parents, acquires the position of a teacher in the school, romances
Bijli (Mumtaz), saves prostitutes and turns everyone „human“
(because who better but a guy running froma a police for that job,
eh?)

How to dress when you are wanted killer on the run, lesson 1.

Rajesh Khanna wearing
hippie shirts and awful mullet tried to persuade me he is both a
wanted criminal and Jesus in second incarnation. Needless to say he
looked unconvincing as the first and annoyingly pretentious as the
latter. He did not act badly, but apparently the magic of Rajesh
Khanna for whom the girls were writing letters in their own blood
does not work on me. I felt rather bored throughout, which is largely
to be blamed on a script full of things I have seen a million times,
and the never-ending message that resonates through Indian films
since the beginning till today - about corrupt society and innocent
children turned criminals. But Mangal is not just a small-time thief
or a Robin Hood. He is a killer - and people are also killed because
of him, without him ever caring. The story is told without getting
some kind of emotion from the viewer, and the most engaging action is
the God-intervention starring monkeys.

How to dress when you are hiding from the police in the woods, lesson 12.

This is the first time I
saw Mumtaz (well, not really true because I saw her previously in
Suraj, but there she was just in a supporting role and completely
lost in the awesomeness that always shines around Vyjayanthimala),
and I liked her well enough. She had some spunk, even if at times her
character was an annoying chatterbox. However a heroine whose only
purpose is to fall for the hero, no matter how prepostrous the whole
thing is, is yet another fail the film has. And sadly, she doesn´t
even have a song that would be worth mentioning it. Oh no, all the
songs are social-waking opportunities for our criminal-Jesus.

I understand why these
films were and are still made. Because reality has not changed. But
some films seem to be made just to be preachy, and end up being more
of a boring lecture (with lack of logic involved) than an emotional
experience that would actually make one sit back and think for a
while, if not get up and doing something. Roti doesn´t do enough to
justify the ways of Mangal. He keeps having passionate speeches about
hunger and stomachs, but sorry, dude, you´ve been a healthy adult
for long enough now and still you would choose stupid fight resulting
in killing someone, then having people shot because of your pompous
escape from the gallows... and I am supposed to feel your pain more
then theirs?

I lost a leg because of you, wanted murderer, but even though I am aiming at you, I will not shoot you. On the contrary I wil let you run along with best wishes because when you crippled me you skillfully lied to my blind parents so they took you in. And they think you are a great guy.

The film needed a better
editing too, as some bits seem to be left out (or I again got a copy
with scenes cut). What starts as a tale of a hungry child ends in an
amazingly unbelievable climax with burying your enemies under an
avalanche, racing ahead of a police dog with Mumtaz on your back,
having yet another damn long speech after being shot in the heart
(and you blood evenly spilling into the part of Mumtaz´s hair –
which totally beats the famous Mujhse Dosti Karoge sindoor scene), as
the blind parents and their one-legged son obviously manage to hurry
up (and be quicker than police and gundas in their cars) to mourn
over you.

*SPLASH*

OMG I have your blood in my hair. I have never been happier.

I´m dying.

I´M DYYYING!!!

Not fair! I also had a speech on increasing gas prices and globalization!